A Chelmsford family of four have been left homeless after a fire took hold in their home last night.
Two fire crews rushed to the scene in Sawkins Avenue off Beehive Lane, Great Baddow, when the alarm was raised at 8.46pm.
The Essex County Fire and Rescue Service said that a woman and her three children were involved in the blaze, which saw the woman have to be taken to hospital for smoke inhalation.
A spokesman said: "Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus used one hose reel to tackle the fire in the two storey property - an automatic sprinkler system also activated.
"Crews arriving at the scene reported that the whole of the first floor was heavily smoke logged. Everyone had been accounted for by 9.05pm.
"The fire was out by 21:18 hrs."
He added that firefighters then used a high pressure fan to clear the 14m x 5m building of smoke.
The Red Cross Victim Support unit provided assistance to the family at the scene.
